The Pros and Cons of Rivet Duty
by Scancrasher
Summary: Why DID Rewind have those discs? There is more to his story than he's told Rodimus. It involves Chromedome's past, and his silence is key to the healing process in Chromedome's future. When Rewind decides to keep mum in order to protect Chromedome, the mnemosurgeon is grateful. Very, very, VERY grateful. Slight spoilers for MTMTE #6. Chromedome/Rewind.


AN: HAHA WHOOPS look what I did. So I had to get this out of my system. I've been wanting to write a Chromedome/Rewind fic for the longest time, and this has been sitting piecemeal in one sprawling word document for nearly a month now. The most recent issue of MTMTE gave me what I needed to finish this fic!

**Please note that this contains slight spoilers for MTMTE #6. **So does the author's note from hereon in.

This fic will contain some allusions that the reason Rewind has the footage is for an undefined reason that relates to Chromedome's own good. Am I ever going to explain it? Probably not. I just didn't want anyone confused! Uhh what else should I clarify… oh, yeah, I'm pretty sure neither of them have faces underneath those plates. But for the purposes of this fic, they do. I apologize that I can't offer you guys anything deep and meaningful, _I just really needed to write these two doing the nasty._

I can't think of anything! This was not written for tfanonkink. I wrote it mainly to get it out of my system. I really, really love this pairing.

The fic contains the following kinks: **oral sex, light sub (on Chromedome's part), size kink, dirty talk, a bit of tactile**. Please do not proceed if these squick you! Otherwise, I hope you enjoy the fic!

* * *

**The Pros and Cons of Rivet Duty**

The hiss of an automatic door opening preceded the words, "Why didn't you tell him?"

Rewind looked up from the screen of his personal terminal and over his shoulder at Chromedome. He didn't need to ask the taller mech what he was talking about. He already knew. They _both _knew. "It… wasn't my place."

Chromedome stood just past the doorway, letting it shut behind him. Wirelessly, he locked the door, but did not move. Nor did he speak. He didn't seem to know what to say.

Rewind shook his head. "Frankly I'm surprised that it was considered an enforceable offense. Rodimus's personal aversion aside, I was not doing anything wrong. I was not endangering the crew in any way-"

"I'll go speak to him. I'll explain everything." The thought of Rodimus venting his anger, his disgust, at _Rewind _obviously upset Chromedome. There was hardly any outward sign of it, but Rewind could read the subtle shifts in his friend's body language, feel the underlying hum in his EM field, so subtle as to be nearly imperceptible. He was attuned to it by now.

The minibot stood. "No, Chromedome. It's okay. I can deal with this." He crossed the floor, towards Chromedome. "I don't want them to-"

"But you don't _deserve_ this!" Chromedome protested. He very seldom ever raised his voice, and even now, his volume would have suggested to the outside observer that the normally-reserved mnemosurgeon was only mildly perturbed. Rewind knew better. Chromedome was just short of furious. "_Riveting duty_. That's hard labor. And if something goes wrong-" Here a burst of static entered his vocoder, "-if you get _hurt_-"

"Chromedome!" Rewind stepped forward, reaching up to touch the mnemosurgeon's arm. "_Nothing_ is going to happen to me. It's safe, I promise. Quite safe."

"But you don't _deserve_ it," Chromedome repeated helplessly.

Rewind shrugged. "Think of it as… as a cost." There is a pause. "Chromedome, I don't… if we tell them about what happened, about what-look, I'll endure it. I don't mind. I would rather spend the next _stellar cycle_ on rivet duty than make you face that _again_-" He was cut off by a sudden movement from Chromedome. The larger mech had dropped to one knee and rather suddenly seized Rewind in an embrace. He was shaking lightly. Rewind froze for a moment, and then very carefully slid his arms around Chromedome's neck. "It's okay." They both knew that his gentle reassurance didn't just apply to their current situation.

"No. No, it's not," Chromedome didn't let him go. "I just-"

"Chromedome. You have been through enough. We left Cybertron to try and take you _away _from the past. I'm not going to let you take a step backwards. Not now. _Please. _I would honestly rather take this punishment than see you suffer again."

Chromedome didn't respond verbally. Instead, he merely nuzzled the side of Rewind's helm gently. He was still shaking lightly, and it tore at Rewind's spark. "Please. Just _let_ me do this for you, okay?"

Slowly, the larger mech pulled away, bringing one hand up to cup the side of Rewind's face. Rewind leaned into the touch. Chromedome's hand nearly eclipsed the entirety of Rewind's face, but Rewind was quite used to the disparity in their sizes by now, and the gesture itself did not catch him off guard at all. It was no secret that the two of them were quite close, and if anyone was ever in a position to forget, a certain metallurgist would remind them in a hurry.

Even so, most mechs assumed that Rewind and Chromedome shared a close, but brotherly affection for one another. They were wrong. Rewind leaned forward, his facemask retracting with a sudden sharp _snck_, and he kissed the other right on the battle-mask, gently, fleetingly before letting his mask slide back into place. Chromedome made a sound that was almost a chuckle, but not quite. "You're too good to me, Rewind."

"I am not," the smaller mech protested, "I am _nearly_ as good as you deserve." He reached up to splay his tiny hand against Chromedome's faceplate, a symmetric mimicry of the way the mnemosurgeon was touching him. "I'm only sorry I can't do more to help."

Chromedome gave his head a small shake, the movement gentle enough so that he wouldn't disturb Rewind's touch. Gently he stroked his fingers along the top of Rewind's helm. He was silent for a few long moments, but Rewind was content to linger, the unspoken understanding between them hanging heavy, mutually accepted. He allowed his field to sink gently against Chromedome's, and the frequencies there hummed softly of devotion, of deep affection, of the quiet sort of happiness that their proximity was provoking.

He felt a prickling of guilt, sharp and stinging, on the edges of Chromedome's field, and Rewind hurriedly sent soothing currents rushing forth, enveloping and pacifying the steep, distressed frequencies. He had made this decision. He had accepted this, and he wanted to do this. That was the end of it.

He felt Chromedome's field surge back at him, a sudden flare of overwhelming gratitude swamping him, gratitude laced with such love that Rewind was left momentarily speechless. "Chromedome-"

The mnemosurgeon merely leaned forward, touching his forehead kibble to Rewind's. "What did I do to deserve you?" There was really nothing that Rewind could say in response to that. He simply let his own gratitude wash back through his field. Standing so close, their fields began to harmonize, and the dual hum was intimate, more intimate than mere words. The moment lingered for a while longer, before Chromedome finally drew back slightly. "Well," he said, his voice having lost the majority of the distress that had characterized it mere moments before, "I'll do what I can to make this bearable."

"Give me some credit, Chromedome. I can handle a bit of hard labor. You know, it might even do me some goo-" He was cut off as he was scooped up, Chromedome's large hands encircling his waist, lifting him bodily from the ground and carrying him to the berth, where he was set down. Technically, their room had two berths, but they only ever used one. Rewind cocked his head up at Chromedome.

"Maybe I'll give you something to look forward to at the end of your shift," Chromedome went on, punctuating his words with a light rumble of his engine.

Rewind shifted back farther on the berth. The mood was changing, and he had absolutely no problem with the direction that this change was going. "Hmm. I think I could deal with that."

* * *

Chromedome leaned over Rewind. He enjoyed the way his larger form eclipsed Rewind's entire body, enjoyed reminding them both of how much bigger he was than his smaller lover. It made him feel oddly powerful, as if he were capable of protecting Rewind from anything. It was a comforting thought, even if he suspected it was only an illusion. There was so much that Chromedome had lost in his life. He wanted to believe that he could _keep_ Rewind, that he could hold onto this remarkable mech, to this wonderful feeling. Sometimes he had trouble believing he could.

But then Rewind was shifting against the berth, his legs parting slightly, and Chromedome drew himself away from his vaguely depressing thoughts. He would much rather concentrate on _this_. He let his faceplates slide away, the slightest of smiles playing over his normally very-stoic expression.

Rewind said, "You could give me something to look forward to for the next few minutes, if you like."

"I think I will," Chromedome replied as he leaned forward.

Kissing had provided some initial challenges for them. Chromedome was simply so much bigger than Rewind that their mouths didn't exactly match up. It was always messy, more of a sloppy tangle of mouths than a real kiss, but Chromedome was fragged if he minded _that. _

He slipped his glossa past Rewind's lip plating, felt Rewind close his mouth around it and suckle lightly, earning a low thrum of approval from Chromedome's engine. Rewind slid his own glossa along the underside of Chromedome's, crushing their lips together as much as he was able, working his jaw in desperation to be closer. When Chromedome pulled away, Rewind leaned forward, mouth parted, venting lightly, but obligingly held still when Chromedome put his hand on the archivist's chest, keeping him back.

He leaned forward to kiss lightly at one of the two finial crests of Rewind's helmet. Rewind had no engine, seeing as how his alt mode was a memory stick, which did not require such a mechanism for propulsion, but he hummed to show his appreciation. While this was happening, Chromedome let his hand drift down over Rewind's abdomen, slipping his fingers along the seams located there with feather-light, deft touches. Rewind shuddered. Chromedome brushed the second helm finial lightly with his lips, and the gesture was more a nuzzle than anything else. His hand finally came to a stop, gently cupping Rewind's codpiece. He felt the archivist slowly roll his hips upward, and at the same time, Chromedome lowered his head to flick his glossa over the lens of Rewind's camera.

Rewind gasped sharply, squirming, "Again."

Chromedome traced the seam of Rewind's codpiece with his fingers. The contours were familiar by now, and he didn't even have to look to know where to apply the slight, teasing pressure that he knew drove Rewind to distraction. A brief grin flickered over Chromedome's features, and he dragged his glossa over the lens once more before delicately taking the tip of the camera between his lips and sucking.

Rewind made a low, startled noise and his hands immediately found their way to Chromedome's chest, sliding restlessly over the raised plating where his neck cabling met his armor. "Y-yes, that's-ooh, _Chromedome_-" His hips surged upward once more, and with a soft click, his interface panel slid aside.

Chromedome pulled away, the barest of satisfied smirks on his face.

"Don't give me that look," Rewind chastised, somewhat breathlessly and with no genuine ire. "You know my camera is-nngh-" Chromedome had taken the opportunity to reach down, gently rubbing his thumb over the tip of Rewind's recessed spike. "My… my camera…" The minibot continued to stutter stubbornly. He was determined to finish his sentence.

Chromedome was equally determined not to let him. He shifted position, kneeling down, and as he settled, he heard Rewind's fans whirr to life. With Rewind sitting on the bed and Chromedome on his knees, he was conveniently eye-level with the other's spike, which was extending and pressurizing under the deft manipulation of the surgeon's skilled fingers. It felt very small against his hand, though, of course, it was proportionate to the minibot's frame.

There was a slight curve to Rewind's spike, and it was comprised of black plating along the top with soft, rubberized ridges along the bottom. Most delightfully, either side of the spike was lit by glowing red light-piping. While Chromedome was admiring this very welcome sight, Rewind stubbornly went on. "My camera is… is _highly_ sens-"

"Rewind…" Interrupting his smaller lover was technically cheating, but he didn't care. "You have a beautiful spike."

"Chromedome, if you are trying to butter me up, I ca-ah, ahh, right there, please-" Chromedome's thumb was rubbing the delicate ridges on the underside, "Mmm, at this point it is_ entirely unnecessary_."

Chromedome leaned forward, venting warm air over the spike, but not quite letting his lips touch. Rewind was shuddering, holding himself still only through great effort, it seemed. Chromedome removed his hand, pressing his lips lightly to the underside of the spike, letting his glossa flick out briefly. Rewind vented hollowly, his voice lost to static. The larger mech pulled away to press a kiss to the side of Rewind's spike, pausing to trace the light-piping along the side with his glossa. He moved slowly, leisurely, clearly enjoying every moment he was allowed to lavish attention on his lover's interface equipment.

Rewind shifted, spreading his legs wider to accommodate Chromedome. Behind his visor, Chromedome's optics were half-shuttered in contentment. He passed his glossa along the tip once, twice-Rewind moaned, low and needy-three times, lapping like he had all the time in the world, before Rewind arched and whimpered, "Please, Chromedome-"

And then Chromedome leaned down, sliding the spike eagerly past his lips, drawing the full, heavy hardness into his mouth. He felt Rewind arch even further against him, both hands gripping Chromedome's helm. The surgeon reached forward, holding Rewind's hips still, his large hands easily encompassing Rewind's slim waist nearly in its entirety. He worked his glossa along those ridges, those delicious, _wonderful_ ridges, and then he sucked.

Rewind cried out, his legs bending at the knee, his entire body curling around Chromedome's head. "Yes," he whimpered. "Oh, _yes_."

Chromedome sucked again, building a slow rhythm with his mouth, with his glossa, shuttering his optics. His own fans finally kicked to life. He _loved_ this. He genuinely loved doing this to Rewind, lavishing his lover's spike with his attention, listening to the archivist come absolutely undone with every slight, subtle movement of his mouth. It felt so good, so _right, _to be down here on his knees, servicing Rewind. He sucked again, slowly, languidly, feeling his optics dim even further in his contentment.

"Mmmn. Primus, I-I-." Rewind sighed, his fingers stroking reflexively at the dips and finials of Chromedome's helm. "I forgot how g-good you are at this…"

Chromedome pulled away and ran his glossa over his lip plating once. Rewind made a soft disappointed sound. "It _has_ been too long."

The minibot nodded, but remained quiet, concentrating on his venting. After a moment he curled further around Chromedome's helm, kissing one of the protruding finials. "I missed this." Chromedome leaned up long enough to kiss Rewind once, quickly, on the chin, before he dipped his head again. When his mouth closed around the archivist's spike, Rewind gave a pleased sigh. "Well, I didn't miss it for_ long_. Mmm."

Chromedome actually chuckled around the spike in his mouth, and Rewind shuddered. "R-remind me to set aside a few jokes for next time. That's quite nice." Chromedome obligingly hummed, and Rewind jerked with a startled cry. Chromedome only intensified the vibrations, alternating between high tones coaxed from his vocalizer and low rumbles from his engine, driving his voice to an unrelenting pitch while Rewind's motions became steadily more frantic.

"Primus, _Primus _Chromedome," Rewind's voice was strained and desperate, his hips were jerking against Chromedome's hands, which held them firmly still, "Th-that's-I'm going to-" Chromedome sucked again, easing as much of that spike as he possibly could into his mouth, working the underside with his tongue. He knew what Rewind was trying to warn him about, and he wanted it. _Primus,_ he wanted Rewind to overload in his mouth, wanted to taste that release, if only his smaller lover would give it to him. "Nnh, so _good, _yes yesyes_yes_, Chromed-dome-!"

He felt the snap in Rewind's EM field, felt the sudden tension in the minibot's frame, felt the fingers tighten on his helm, and then Rewind was overloading with a static-filled cry. The rush of hot transfluid in his mouth was eagerly swallowed, and Rewind made soft, helplessly pleased sounds as Chromedome suckled hungrily on his spike, coaxing forth a few extra spurts.

Finally Rewind went limp, his vents heaving, his fans whirring furiously, and as Chromedome leaned up, running his glossa along his lip plating, the panting archivist leaned down, and met him in a hungry kiss. Chromedome felt Rewind's smaller glossa darting into the interior of his mouth, tasting his own release, lapping up the last traces of transfluid. The mnemosurgeon moaned into the kiss.

Rewind pulled away and sighed. He was swaying slightly, and when Chromedome pushed gently at his chest, he fell back, unresisting, flopping on the berth. Chromedome put his head to one side. "I think I could handle this once a night."

"Mmm, you're not the only one," Rewind murmured languidly. "But you…?"

"We'll get to that," Chromedome assured him. He sat on the edge of the bed. Rewind lay limp, his limbs only responding sluggishly, and Chromedome loved _that_, too, loved the thrill that went through him knowing that _he_ did that to Rewind, that he gave the minibot that lazy, languid afterglow. He felt Rewind's field flicker against his, a tentative, tender brush, and he let his own flare, the frequencies stronger, shot through with hints of lust, but overwhelmed by the deep bass thrum of adoration.

"You sap," Rewind's voice was heavy with affection. "I don't think any of our comrades would peg you as the sentimental type."

"I don't get sentimental about much," Chromedome responded, reaching down to stroke Rewind's cheek plating with the backs of his fingers. Rewind tilted his head against them, smiling slightly. They stayed that way for a few moments, bathed in the glow of their meshed fields, before Chromedome shifted and, with no preamble whatsoever, retracted his interface panel. His spike pressurized almost immediately into his waiting hand, and he gripped it, giving it a few firm strokes.

Rewind immediately propped himself up on his elbows so as not to miss a moment of the impromptu peepshow. Chromedome found his eagerness endearing. The mnemosurgeon altered his posture, bending one leg up on the berth while he kept the other stretched, braced against the floor, and stroked himself again, gently tracing the yellow light piping on the underside of his spike. The surgeon sighed with relief. "If you don't mind, I'd like to watch you for a bit?"

Rewind ducked his head in a quick, instinctive gesture of embarrassment. He saw the look of concern that flashed over Chromedome's faceplates, and he hastily explained, "I don't mind doing it, not for you, it's just… Primus." He gave a short, nervous laugh. "I honestly just find it a bit baffling."

"What? That I enjoy watching you service yourself?" Chromedome replied rather bluntly. Rewind's vents hitched. "Is it so hard to believe that I find you attractive, Rewind?"

"Er, I…"

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Chromedome said gently.

"No. No, I don't mind. I just-well, you know, it's a bit… I can't help but be a little self-conscious. At first." He leaned back on the bed, adjusting his posture and bending his legs so that his pedes were flat on the berth.

Chromedome nodded. Watching Rewind go from shy, hesitant touches to lewdly displaying himself was _always_ a pleasant sight, and, lucky for him, it almost always ended up playing out that way. "I like it," was his simple reply. He gave his spike slow, steady strokes, well aware of his own limit, and waited.

Rewind cycled his vents once, and reached down, hesitantly tracing the seams of his abdomen, the way Chromedome had earlier. He moved his fingers in slow circles over the flat planes of plating, gradually relaxing himself with his own touch. His fingers flirted with his seams, and then slid along them with leisurely deliberation. Eventually he worked his way downward, closer to his hips. His spike had retracted, and Rewind traced the housing once before lightly brushing the tip. He shuddered.

Chromedome continued to watch, transfixed by the sight.

Rewind's other hand drifted up, brushing against his camera, hesitantly at first, unsure, but as his fingers below began to gradually work his spike back to a half-pressurized state, his fondling became bolder, firmer. He bit at his lower lip plating as his fingers circled the lens of the camera, and his other hand drifted lower, lower, until his valve cover slid aside.

Chromedome cocked his head, angling for a better view. Rewind gingerly traced the rim of his valve, and, feeling wetness, kneaded the anterior edge, slowly working his fingers inside. Rewind made a soft, breathy sound somewhere between a gasp and a moan and slid the two fingers further in. They slid effortlessly past the rim with a soft squelch.

Chromedome felt a shiver work its way up his backstrut. "You're dripping," he said simply.

"Mm-hmm," Rewind replied, sliding his fingers into his own valve up to the knuckle, drawing them out, and then back in again. Lubricant began to drip down out of the valve, trickling thickly onto the berth, and when Rewind had his fingers thoroughly coated, he pulled them away from his valve and brought them to his lips. He sucked slowly, luxuriously, his visor dim, his unseen optics locked on Chromedome's.

Chromedome's hips twitched into his own grip.

Rewind pulled his other hand away from his camera and immediately began to work his valve, sliding three fingers inside now, stretching and kneading the lining to coax yet more fluid free. He moaned around the fingers in his mouth, angling his hips up to give Chromedome a better view as he hooked his fingertips on the rim of his valve, stretching it slightly.

"Need you," he whispered, taking his fingers out of his mouth. He let them slide down his body, slowly, slowly over his abdomen, across his hips, past his pressurized spike and then past the rim of his valve, delving inside with a lewd, wet noise. He drew them back again and begin to languidly lick his own lubricant off his fingers. "Please, Chromedome."

There was no resisting that soft plea. Chromedome released his spike from his own grip, clambering onto the bed, looming momentarily over Rewind, who eagerly arched up for a brief kiss. Chromedome then settled back on the berth, sitting on his bottom and spreading his legs. Rewind rolled over and crawled to him, clambering into his lap.

Chromedome grasped his hips, lifting him, and all the while Rewind desperately kissed at his neck, his chest, the promise of immediate fulfillment making him needy. Between the kisses he whispered pleas in a voice that was almost incomprehensible by static.

Part of Chromedome wanted to tell Rewind that he didn't have to beg, but the rest was thoroughly enjoying the sound of Rewind begging. He carefully aligned their hips, holding Rewind still as the other eagerly attempted to drive himself down against Chromedome. "Easy," Chromedome reminded him. "I don't want to hurt you."

Rewind arched. "I… Chromedome, please." He pushed against the other's hands, but Chromedome was holding him firmly, giving him no leverage. "It's just-I can take it, I-_please_-" It was curiously gratifying to see the normally-eloquent mech's words stumbling clumsily over one another as Rewind was driven to distraction by his overwhelming _need_ for that spike.

"It's been a long time, so we need to take it slow." Chromedome chided. Rewind shivered, but acquiesced, and ceased his wriggling. Chromedome slowly lowered him, letting the tip of his spike slide past the rim, but driving no further.

Rewind's hands clenched against Chromedome's chest. They were both stretched to the limits of their willpower. Chromedome eased Rewind down a but further, and the minibot gave a low, liquid moan as he felt himself being filled, being stretched... and then Chromedome stopped halfway.

"Nngh," The mnemosurgeon groaned. "Tight."

Rewind was writhing in desperation, his movements limited by Chromedome's grip. "It doesn't hurt, I promise," he rasped, "it's good, it's _good_, Chromedome."

Chromedome nodded and gently rolled his hips upwards, sliding himself nearly as far as he was able into Rewind. The archivist arched, his head tipped back, his body giving small jerks. "Oh… I…"

"You're sure you're okay?" Chromedome managed.

Rewind nodded, rising up. "One moment." He shifted position, rising halfway off Chromedome's spike, rearranging himself so that he was no longer kneeling, but instead straddling Chromedome's waist, his legs hooked around the flared kibble of Chromedome's hips. "Ah, I missed these handlebars," he chuckled.

"I'll _handlebar _you."

"Oooh," the minibot breathed, leaning up to flick his glossa against Chromedome's neck cabling. "Please _do_."

He was rewarded with a languid roll of Chromedome's hips, filling him properly once more. Rewind began to grind down in small circles, eager to feel more of that hard, heavy spike deep in his valve. Chromedome reached up to lightly stroke Rewind's back, and was rewarded with a soft sigh. The mnemosurgeon's engine rumbled contentedly as he set a slow pace, rolling up into Rewind, who ground down in counterpoint.

"Every night," Chromedome whispered, "when you get back, I'll be waiting for you. Every day that you serve out your punishment-" He kissed the top of Rewind's helmet. "-I'll do this to you-" His voice became strained. "-until you can't move-"

Rewind loosed a static-filled moan and pulled himself further up the larger mech's chest, "Harder, Chromedome-" Chromedome bucked up, and Rewind cried out at the sudden jolt. The surgeon froze, momentarily worried that he'd hurt his partner somehow, but his fears were allayed when Rewind writhed and demanded, "_Again_! Please!"

Chromedome obliged him, bucking up and setting a vigorous pace, which, judging by Rewind's escalating cries, was appreciated greatly. "I'll frag you raw, Rewind, and every time you feel it out there, you'll _remember_, and you'll know what's waiting for you when you get back-"

Rewind wailed, tossing his head back.

"And you'll love." Thrust. "Every." Thrust. "Second of it."

"Please," the minibot begged. "Please, _please_-" Each plea was punctuated by a jerk from Chromedome's hips, jolting Rewind up in his lap. He continued to beg, his volume growing with each thrust upward, and as he felt overload approaching again, he whimpered, the pleas dying out as he stuttered, "Chr-chrome… d-dome…"

The mnemosurgeon tightened his grip on the minibot's hips and gave a short, brutal thrust upward, slamming the tip of his spike against Rewind's endplate, just the way he knew his smaller lover liked it. Rewind wailed again, scrabbling madly at Chromedome's frame, his legs jerking as he tried to pull off, pull away from the over stimulation.

"I can't-it's too _much_, I'm g-going-"

Chromedome whispered, "Overload for me."

Instantly Rewind's entire body shuddered around him, and he could feel the frantic, spastic gripping motions of Rewind's internal calipers milking his spike. A desperate, static-filled keen burst from Rewind's vocalizer as he overload rocked his rigid frame, stuffed as full as he could possibly be of Chromedome's spike.

Just as he seemed to be coming down, the surgeon gave a curiously soft sigh, and with a gentle lurch, he felt himself slipping after Rewind into overload. Rewind gave a low, startled groan and began to squirm as he was pumped full of scalding transfluid, moaning as it gushed out of his tight little clenching valve, splashing down over his thighs, over Chromedome's spike, tortuously prolonging the minibot's overload as it surged through him.

"Ah-augh, _yes_," he whimpered, his body giving hungry, visceral twitches.

Chromedome watched, his visor bright, one thumb stroking soothingly against Rewind's hip, until finally, _finally_ the poor mech was released, and Rewind collapsed against him, his vents heaving. Weakly, he tried to raise himself up, releasing a fresh gush of transfluid, but he didn't have the strength. Chromedome gently lifted him, pulling him off his spike and against his chest, leaning back so that Rewind could rest against him.

The minibot mumbled a half-coherent but heartfelt thank-you as he nuzzled his helm under Chromedome's chin. Chromedome reached down to gently stroke the back of Rewind's neck, and he felt the archivist shudder and sigh against him.

"You okay?" He asked, as he always did, even though he knew what Rewind would say.

Rewind's helm bumped up against his chin playfully. "Of course I am, you dolt." Another sleepy, affectionate nuzzle. "But thank you, as always." He traced abstract patterns in Chromedome's chest armor. His limbs were shaking, but Chromedome held him firmly.

After a bit of groping about for a cloth to wipe themselves clean, the two exhausted mechs collapsed onto the berth. Chromedome curled protectively around Rewind, who tucked himself up against Chromedome's chest, burying his face in his neck. They lay in silence, taking comfort in the heat radiating from one another's bodies, from the buzz of their sated, contented fields intertwining into a single, harmonious hum.

"You know," Rewind finally broke the silence, "if I get this every night that I'm on rivet duty, then I might just need to rack up some more time doing rivet duty."

Chromedome chuckled in response, and once again they fell silent. It stretched on for a long time. When the mnemosurgeon spoke again, his voice was soft. "Rewind?"

"Mmm?" The minibot sleepily snuggled against his chest.

"If we… well. I was thinking that there is a chance we might not get back to Cybertron… for a while."

"I'd say there's a fairly good chance of that, yes."

"By the time we get back, things might have… well. I'm sure the NAILs will have settled in, and by then Prowl will probably have brought the Decepticons to heel."

"One could only hope," was the somewhat dry reply.

"But if we finally make it back and things are… are _calm_. I… would like very much for us to stay together."

"Of course." There was another stretch of silence, and then Rewind reached up to rest his hand over Chromedome's chest, over the low steady pulse of the other's spark. "Always?"

"Yes," Chromedome replied, shifting until his own hand was splayed out over the entirely of Rewind's much-smaller chest. "Always."

"Mmhmm." Rewind tilted his head up to press a gently kiss to Chromedome's neck cabling. "I _like _the sound of always._"_


End file.
